Pakistani Political Parties Convene Against Taliban Militants

by Blaine Metzgar | May 18, 2009 at 08:18 am

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The Pakistani government convened a meeting on May 18 of all of the country's political parties to garner ubiquitous national support for the military action being taken against Taliban militants in the Swat Valley.

The leaders of 42 political parties were expected to attend the All Party Congress in Islamabad, the capital.

According to a senior foreign diplomat the offensive action taken by the Pakistani government requires a national consensus in order to succeed.

[q url="http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/pakistan.politics.mobilization/"]Speaking on condition of anonymity, the diplomat singled out Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, leader of the PML-N party and the most powerful political rival to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, saying that without Sharif's support, the anti-Taliban campaign would be doomed. Sharif was at Monday's All Party Congress.

The leaders of 42 political parties were expected to attend the All Party Congress in Islamabad, the capital.

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In the prime minister's address Yusuf Reza Gilani stated, "the army will remain in these areas until the displaced people can return to their homes, and until peace is established," remaining steadfast in his stance on the actions of the terrorist cell.

The Pakistani military mounted its first assault on Al Quaeda and its Taliban allies in tribal areas along Pakistan's mountainous border with Afghanistan in 2004. There have since been a number of military offensives against the Taliban, with questionable results. The attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis and done considerable damage to homes and infrastructure.

The Taliban has extended its area of control from the border, all the way to the district of Buner, just 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the Pakistani capital. The military attacked Taliban fighters in Buner late last month. As of Sunday, troops were still battling to dislodge insurgents from parts of Buner, according to Pakistani military spokesmen.

A separate effort to press the Taliban was staged by hundreds of Muslim clerics when they gathered in the capital, Islamabad, on May 17 admonishing the Talbian's savage actions.